Manila: The newly created Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) will prioritize linking regional development plans to the national development blueprint in its first year, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
According to Philippines News Agency, Balisacan emphasized during a press chat on April 14 that one of the key mandates of the DEPDev, under the Economy, Planning and Development Act, is to strengthen coordination between local government units (LGUs) and national government priorities. The new law, which reorganizes NEDA into DEPDev, will take effect on April 27.
The incoming DEPDev chief highlighted that the national budget has often been disconnected from regional priorities. "Over the years, we passed a national budget, but that often, there is very little connection between that national budget and what the priorities are identified by the various regions of the country," Balisacan stated. He also anticipates a modest budget increase for 2026 to prioritize support for LGUs.
Balisacan further outlined that resources will be focused on assisting LGUs, particularly at the regional and provincial levels, through resource mobilization, planning, monitoring, and evaluation. This approach aims to enable LGUs to use their limited resources for more impactful interventions. The 2025 General Appropriations Act has earmarked PHP12.35 billion for NEDA.
Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., a principal author of the law, stated that DEPDev will play a crucial role in realizing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s vision of a 'Bagong Pilipinas' (New Philippines). Villafuerte highlighted the urgent task of synchronizing socio-economic planning and development goals and programs of all LGUs with those of the national government.
Villafuerte also indicated that the new department would be central to implementing the administration's long-term plans through instruments such as the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), Regional Development Plans (RDPs), and the Public Investment Program (PIP). He emphasized that the DEPDev is now positioned to better integrate and harmonize national, subnational, regional, and local plans in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive growth.
Furthermore, Villafuerte noted that the DEPDev will establish firm linkages to enhance decentralization and promote the autonomy of LGUs, paving the way for achieving the country's long-term socioeconomic goals.
